Railroad-crossing signal



A. BERG.

RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1920.

1,392,104. PatentedSept. 27,1921,

; I .2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. BERG.

RAILROAD QROSSING SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED nun/21.1920.

PafntedSept. 27,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TENT orl-ics.

1 Aaron BERefor ROLLA, MISSOURI.

narnnoan-cnossinesieNAn Applicationlfiled' 'llay 27,

To all whom it may don-0cm.- 4 Be it known that I, ANTON BE G, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Rolla, in the county of Phelps and State of Missouri,have invented new and usefulIm provements in Railroad-Crossing Signals, of which the following is a specification. The object of the invention is to'provide a simple mainly mechanical means for producing both a visual and audible signal at railroad crossings adaptable for use either in daylight or at night as a means of attracting the attention and serving as a warning for drivers and pedestrians on the intersectingor cross road, the mechanism being such as to give a continuous warning as long as the train which is approaching the cross ing is traversing a givenpoint at a suflicient distance from the intersecting road to afford ample opportunity for pedestrians and oth ers to clear the track, and with these objects in view the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is shown in the ac-- companying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a as seen when applied in the operative position to a railway crossing.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the signal mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the same'to indicate the means. whereby a light signal is produced at night.

Fig. 4 is a detail View of the tread or trip by which the mechanism receives motion from the wheels of a passing train.

Fig. 5 is a detail View of the means by which motion is communicated from the shaft of the signal head to the magneto.

Fig. 6 is a plan view enlarged of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the counterweight for returning the operating cable.

Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views in perspective of the means whereby a step by step rotary, motion is communicated to the signal head. i

The. apparatus consists essentially of a signal head, preferably of rotary form having a shaft 10 mounted upon a suitable post 11 at the road side and radial arms 12 carrying blades or flags 13, a head operating mechanism indicated generally at 14, a trip mechanism 15 located adjacent to one of the track rails at a safe distance from the signal plan view of the apparatus Specification of Lettersratent PatentedSept. 27, 1921.

and 6 and shown 2 other end of said lever being connected by V a cable '23 passing around suitable direction.

pulleys 24 and extending to and operating arm 25 of a lever which may as shown be of the bell crank type fulcrume-d as shown at 25 upon the cross arm 11 of the post or upright. This operating lever carries a pawl 26 for engagement with the teeth of a ratchet wheel 27 fixed to the shaft 10, so that if the treadle or trip is actuated by the wheels of the train a step by step forward movement is imparted to the shaft to correspondingly move the blades or flag arms to attract visually the attention of drivers or pedestrians on the cross road from which said a paratus is clearly visible. The pawl 26 at its wheel engaging end or nose is connected to one terminal of a compression spring 28 whose other terminal is connected to one arm of the bell-crank lever 25, the

pawl 26 being pivotally mounted at an intermediate point at the extremity of this arm. The tail end of the pawl is arranged in the path of an arm 29 of a second bell crank lever 30 which is fixedly mounted on a pin 30', the other arm 31 of the said second bellcrank lever being connected by a contractile spring 32 with that end of the bell-crank lever 25 at which the pawl 26 is carried. On the operation of the trip mechanism 15, the cable 23 is intermittently subjected to tension with the result that the bell-crank lever 25 is oscillated in opposition to the spring 32 and a step by step movement is communicated to the ratchet wheel 27, the spring 28 keeping the nose of the pawl in engagement with the teeth of the wheel and forcing it under the edge of eachtooth as the bell-crank lever is returned to normal position by the spring 32, the arm 29 of the bell-crank lever 30 acting as a stop for the pawl and for the bell-crank lever 25 on each v signal at magneto return oscillation of the latter after effected a pressure rotation of the ratchet wheel. Return or ment yoke 33 which is pivotally mounted on the pin and this escapement yoke is provided with an arm 4L1 carrying an adjustable stop 3a to engage the arm 31 of'the bellcrank lever 30. By means of this'stopthe swinging or oscillating movement of the yoke may be varied to regulate the arc of oscillation and thereby the speed of movement of the ratchet wheel and its attendant signaling arms. 7 7

In order to'insure the prompt return of the cable after each impulse due to the operation of the trip or treadle a weighted lever 35 is connected therewitlnand to provide for giving an audible .signalthe tongue 36 of a bell 37 may be connected by means of a light wire or rod 38 with a crank arm 39 on the shaft 10. t V c The provision of means for giving a visual night contemplates the use of a 36 of any a suitable commercial .form with which through a suitable train of speed multiplying gears 37 may be connected a ratchet disk 38 arranged in operaretrograde movement of the ratchet wheel is precluded by the escape-' tive relation with the plunger rod 39 actuable by an eccentric 40 carried by the shaft 10.

What is claimed is:

A'railroad signaling apparatus having a rotary lolade or flag carrying shaft, a wheel operated trip or treadle mechanism, means for communicating motion from the trip or treadle to said shaft, the sameincluding a ratchetwheel on,the shaft, a bell-crank lever opcratively connected with the treadle andvcarrying aratchet engaging'pawl, a

fixed bell-crank lever having one arm arranged in the path of the tail-of said pawl to act as a stop for the sameand for the first bell-crank lever on the return oscillations of the same, a spring tensioned between the other arm of the fixed bell-crank lever and the first said bell-crank lever, and an escapement yoke having its terminals in operative relation with the teeth of the ratchet wheel and provided with an arm equipped with an adjustable stop for contact with one of the arms of the fixed-bell-crank lever for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof he affixes his signature. c 7

,i ANTON BER-G. 

